My name is Jenny, and I am starting this fundraiser for my friend Ray to cover some of his expenses for his son Khalid's funeral.

Ray is the owner of Rayz Barber Shop located in downtown Port Coquitlam. He immigrated from Iraq and worked very hard to get established here, and brought the rest of his family over to Canada. He loves Canada, as he sees Canada as the land which him and his children can achieve their dreams and ambitions to have a prosperous life.

However, he was recently hit by an unforeseen tragedy, the sudden loss of his eldest son Khalid! Khalid had suddenly died a few days ago due to a heart attack at merely 21 years of age. Prior to this, he was in perfect health with no known prior history of heart health issues. This sudden blow had hit Ray hard, never in his dreams had he imagine that his beloved son would be taken from him so soon, so suddenly, leaving him not even a chance to say a proper good-bye.

Ray had always been very proud of Khalid, and how he had raised him. By the age of 16, Khalid was already a skilled barber and worked along side Ray at his barber shop. All his customers spoke fondly of the young man. He was known for his warm smile, gentle nature and generosity. Ray told me that Khalid had wanted to become a pilot one day, and how excited he was whenever he talked about his dreams. He was only months away from becoming a Canadian citizen. Khalid loved his life here in Canada, and everything was taken away from him way too soon, before he had any chance to realize any of his dreams.

Ray told me that the rest of his family in Iraq was devastated by this news, and that they requested to have Khalid's body taken back to Iraq to be buried there. This was a request that Ray could not say no to, as he also knows how much Khalid also loved his homeland, and how much this would mean to Khalid and the rest of his family. However, this arrangement would mean that he would have to spend a fortune as well as having to close his business for the duration of the trip. He told me his financial struggles, as he is the sole bread winner in his household, and that the barber shop was his only source of income, and he still has a younger son and daughter to support. After hearing this, I felt compelled to start this fund raising for him hoping that any amount of funds would help to relieve some his financial burdens during this very difficult time in his life.

The friendship between Ray and I started about 5 years ago,when many small local businesses were struggling during the pandemic, and I was a part of a small volunteer group that delivered information and resources to help local businesses to navigate through the difficulties during the pandemic. Ray impressed me as a hard working, honest business man that would step up to support his local community in any way that he could.

Thank you for reading about Ray's story, your support can help ease some of Ray's financial burdens during this heartbreaking time. Any amount would make a difference as he navigates this profound loss. Please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser to help Ray honor his son's memory and support his family through this difficult period. All donations will go directly to Ray's bank account, and not mine. Thank you for your kindness and compassion.